Ne reprenez, Dames, si j’ay aymé :
Si j’ay senti mile torches ardentes,
Mile travaus, mile douleurs mordentes :
Si en pleurant, j’ay mon tems consumé,
Las que mon nom n’en soit par vous blamé.
Si j’ay failli, les peines sont presentes,
N’aigrissez point leurs pointes violentes :
Mais estimez qu’Amour, ê point nommé,
Sans votre ardeur d’un Vulcan excuser,
Sans la beauté d’Adonis acuser,
Pourra, s’il veut, plus vous rendre amoureuses :
En ayant moins que moy d’occasion,
Et plus d’estrange et forte passion.
Et gardez vous d’estre plus malheureuses.
Sonnet XXIV
Though I have loved, ladies, do not blame;
I’ve felt a thousand torches burn with fire,
A thousand sorrows, griefs, from my desire
And all my days turned tearful; there’s no shame
And if there was, it’s now I feel the pain;
No need to sharpen needle points to wound,
Think: love decides for you, and he will hound
You; there’s no need for Vulcan to excuse your fire,
Nor Adonis’ beauty to excuse desire.
Just as love wishes, choosing his own ground,
Without the need of reason or occasion,
Out of sheer wilfulness he leaves his curse
While you, with stranger and with stronger passion
Than mine: well, take good care your pain is not much worse.
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